It took the fire engine about 40 minutes to get through the parade, but the crew members were in two staging areas – where they say they also were harassed – for about two hours.

“What draws the most attention is that big red firetruck and the young men in that truck,” LiMandri told the jury. “I understand that it's a parade, ladies and gentlemen . . . but they were ordered to be there against their will.

“The Fire Department knew what goes on there. It was common knowledge. Some people aren't offended. That's fine. It only takes one person. What my clients saw and heard was unacceptable. The public streets are the workplace for firefighters.”

Shanahan acknowledged in his closing that the pride parade was clearly not sponsored by Walt Disney World. “However, it wasn't the house of horrors the plaintiffs have tried to present,” he said.

A crew that had volunteered to ride a fire engine in the 2007 parade pulled out days before because the captain's mother died. LiMandri told the jury that department supervisors didn't try to find other volunteers. Instead, they ordered the crew in Hillcrest – which is home to a large gay population and is where the pride parade is held each year – to participate. The firefighters'objections weren't taken seriously, LiMandri said.

LiMandri told the jury his clients were consistent in their testimony even though they contradicted themselves or one another when quantifying the amount of abuse along the parade route.

Shanahan pointed out that Ghiotto testified he heard about two dozen crude comments and Allison put the figure in the hundreds. Shanahan told the jury that if it believes Ghiotto, that would be like a dozen people shouting obscenities at a sold-out Qualcomm Stadium.

“What kind of impact is that, ladies and gentlemen?” he said. “They were so concerned about themselves, they put their headphones on, rolled up the windows and stared straight ahead. That's anger. That's not humiliation.”

He also said the firefighters lied on the stand when they testified that their union wouldn't help them because it was in contract negotiations with the city. The negotiation period had ended a month before the 2007 parade.

“I would suggest you look at that for credibility,” Shanahan said.

By the time of the 2008 pride parade, the department had developed a policy that says parades would be staffed with volunteers.

LiMandri decried what he called the defense's character assassination of his clients and backhanded attempt to label them bigots. He told the jury the firefighters' futures are largely in their hands. He also told jurors it's their responsibility to make the parade policy stick.

“If you award no money or some token amount, do you think the policy is going to stay this way?” he said.

In the first trial, LiMandri requested up to $1 million for each client. He isn't putting a figure on damages this time, but he implored the jury to compensate all four firefighters.